A Bat's Eye View
by DracoCharizard87
Summary: When a mysterious thief has stolen the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic, Tails, Blaze and the dragons start an investigation to get them back.
1. Chapter 1: Night Trail

**DRAGON HEROES**

Okay, we are pretty halfway through this arc, and also halfway through the series! It's going to be another thrilling and exciting adventure for our heroes as they now try to protect the Chaos Emeralds from falling into Eggman's clutches! But there's more than Eggman and the Pyre Squad to worry about as there are other would-be thieves out there who would want them as well! We're going to be meeting yet another Sonic character in this story, so let's get reading!

* * *

 **A Bat's Eye View  
**

 **Chapter 1 – Night Trail  
**

It was a clear night in Japan. The stars were sparkling and full moon shone brightly. Cynder, Draco and Bowser were having a leisurely walk around Ago Bay of the Ise-Shima National Park, and they felt very relieved to have collected the Chaos Emeralds to prevent Doctor Eggman from accomplishing his goal of world domination.

"Boy, that sure was a hectic day yesterday," said Draco.

"I can tell that it was for you and Torden," said Cynder. "Of course, we wouldn't have been able to rescue Bowser without the help of the Nightriders."

"They sure are an awesome bunch," said Bowser. "I especially like Axl and Lonnie. They definitely bring a lot of life into the band."

"Me too, Bowser," said Draco. "And I agree with you on what you said about those two."

Soon the trio arrived at a remote location where they could get a view of the entire bay. It was breathtaking as the moon's reflection gleamed in the water.

"Just the sight of the ocean makes me want to go take a dive and catch some fish," said Cynder. "It's always my favourite pastime."

"We sure know that," chuckled Bowser, and they continued to look out into the sea. The waves crashed gently and the salty smell hung in the air. For the three dragons, there was nothing like relaxing by the seaside and enjoying the sight and sound of nature.

"I could sit here and relax for as long as I live," said Draco.

"Yeah, but we should get back to the village soon," said Cynder. "We can't have the rest of our friends be worried sick about us."

"Right you are, Cynder," nodded Bowser.

Just then, a thought came into Cynder's mind. She wanted to discuss the matter with Draco, but did not want Bowser to be involved. "Um, excuse me, Bowser," she began. "Is it alright that Draco and I be by ourselves for a little bit? There's something I need to talk to him about, but it's rather personal."

"Okay, you two knock yourselves out," replied Bowser. "I'll just be standing here watching the beach."

"Thank you," said Cynder. She turned to Draco. "Come on, let's go."

"Very well," said Draco, though he was not quite sure what she wanted to talk about.

The two dragons flew off to a remote location far away from Bowser. Cynder looked at Draco with a serious expression, which the Charizard was so used to seeing as she appeared solemn most of the time.

"Draco, I wanted to talk to you alone, because there's something that has been weighing on my mind," said Cynder.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Draco.

"Well, how can I put this?" Cynder cleared her throat, trying to find the right words. "Um, I know you and Bowser are very close and all, but, am I still the one for you? You seem to pay a lot more attention to him than you do to me."

"Of course!" exclaimed Draco. "I really care for you, Cynder. You're my girlfriend, my best friend, and I couldn't imagine where I would be without you. As for paying more attention to Bowser, I can explain. He hasn't been spending enough time with me, though we have settled and compromised after the whole business with the snare drum and shako, and as for yesterday, he needed to be rescued from Eggman."

Cynder nodded understandingly, but still felt doubtful that Draco was true to his word. "I only hope you truly care for me," she said.

Draco was about to say something, but then decided against it as he felt there was no point in arguing with Cynder on who he truly has feelings for. "Is that all?" he managed to ask.

"Yes, it is," said Cynder. "Anyway, let's return to Bowser and head back to the village. Everyone must be wondering where we are now."

* * *

At the village, everyone was having their dinner as usual. While the dragons were enjoying all the assortment of dishes Lily has cooked, Sonic gulped down a large plate full of only chili dogs and Tails ate a small bowl of macaroni and cheese. Blaze checked her watch after eating some fried seafood, expecting for Draco, Cynder and Bowser to return from their evening stroll.

"They should be here at any minute now," she told the dragons.

"It's been far too long," said Charonus. "Where could they be?"

"Be patient, Charonus," said Percival. "I'm sure they are not far off."

"Hey guys!" called Draco all of a sudden. "We're back!"

"Ah, there you are!" exclaimed Charonus. "You three have certainly taken your time. What's been keeping you?"

"Oh, we just had a bit of a talk about stuff while we were exploring the beach," replied Draco. "Nothing of great interest, though."

"I'm glad you guys have made it back," said Lily. "We're pretty much done with our dinner, so I'd appreciate that you guys help me out with doing the dishes."

"Not a problem, Lily," smiled Bowser. "Draco and I are glad to be of service."

"About time that we get ourselves ready to head to bed," said Tails. "With the Chaos Emeralds safe in our hands, we should be able to rest easily."

"Speaking of which, where do you have the Chaos Emeralds?" asked Torden.

"Oh, we have them stored in my hut," said Percival. "Since I like gems, Sonic and Tails figured I would like to check them out on my own."

Darky was admiring the Chaos Emeralds. "They look so beautiful," he said dreamily.

"Yes, they sure are," agreed Tails. "And we must keep them safe, because there's no doubt that Eggman will try to steal them again."

"Well, he won't be getting as long as I'm around!" said Sonic confidently.

"Anyway, I think it's time we get ourselves ready for sleep," said Cynder. "Draco and Bowser, you go ahead and help Lily with the dishes before you return to your hut. I'll be with Blaze to discuss some very important matters regarding Ash."

"Okay then," said Draco and Bowser, and while they started collecting the used dishes, everyone else prepared for their sleep, unaware that they were being spied by a mysterious shadowy figure in the darkness who overheard the conversation regarding the Chaos Emeralds. The figure's bright teal eyes gleamed as it began planning something underhanded. Something devious…


	2. Chapter 2: Stolen!

**Chapter 2 – Stolen!  
**

Morning arrived sooner than ever before, and as the sun rose, Sonic woke up, feeling very fresh and activate. After stretching his legs, he looked around the village. No one has come out of their huts just yet, so he whisked away for a run around the park.

"Huh?" Tails asked groggily as he slowly got up. "Sonic, are you here?"

There was no reply, and Tails figured that Sonic had run off for a while as usual. Yawning, he crawled out of his sleeping bag while Blaze continued snoring. He then scratched his back and looked at the huts. The dragons were yet to be awake.

"Well, I might as well go and check on everyone to see how they are," he whispered. "It's only a matter of time before breakfast."

So Tails made his way first to Draco's hut. Inside, he saw Draco, Bowser and Darky sleeping peacefully in the same bed, and he could not help but smile as he found the sight very adorable. He then checked on the other dragons and saw that they were still asleep as well. Finally, Tails arrived at Cynder's hut, and to his surprise, he saw that the Twilight Storm was already awake and preparing to head outside.

"And that's that," said Cynder as she locked the door. She then noticed Tails approaching her. "Oh, good morning, Tails!" she exclaimed.

"Good morning, Cynder," said Tails. "Going fishing, I see."

"You got that right," replied Cynder. "I'm heading for the beach for my morning swim and see if I can catch any fish for my breakfast."

"Hope you have a good haul," smiled Tails.

"Tell Draco and the others that I'll be with them after a while," said Cynder.

"I'll make sure of that," promised Tails, and he watched the dragoness walk away.

In a moment, Blaze finally woke. "Morning, Tails," she said. "Making sure that everyone's awake?"

"Yeah, though Sonic and Cynder have already left the village to tend to their own devices," said Tails. "Everyone else should be awake at any minute now."

"Hey Tails and Blaze!" exclaimed Lily happily as she opened the door and sniffed the fresh air. "It's another beautiful day, which could only mean another fun-filled adventure for all of us! I'm so excited!"

"Well, we don't really know for sure what we'll be doing today," said Tails. "But we do need to know where Eggman's second base is and how to disable the shield generator that protects the Death Egg."

"I think we'll be able to get to that once we have our breakfast," said Blaze. "Lily, do you think you can whip us up something delicious?"

"You bet I can!" said Lily happily. "Just let me get me everything ready!"

* * *

Soon when everyone was awake and Sonic and Cynder have returned from their outings, it was time for breakfast. As Lily, Tails and Blaze set up the table and placed the seats in an orderly fashion. Lily then made some pancakes, French toast, chocolate pizza, and many other sweet dishes.

"Alright everyone!" she called. "Breakfast is ready!"

"Awesome!" cheered the dragons as the hurried to the table and began eating away at the food.

"Good pancakes, Lily!" said Draco as he ate ravenously away at his plate filled with a stack of pancakes. He enjoyed the sweet combination of the maple syrup and cream toppings, which was indeed a scrumptious flavour.

"Thanks for the compliment, Draco," smiled Lily. "I'm always happy to cook food that you and everyone else here enjoy."

"You certainly made this cat filled up with satisfaction," said Blaze as she finished a chocolate pizza. "Way to go, Lily!"

Lily just blushed happily.

"So, Percival," said Tails. "How are the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Well, I am yet to check on them today," said Percival. "They really made my arcade room look spiffy with all their colours last night, so at least I got to have a bit of fun with them."

"Better check on them after breakfast, then," said Blaze. "We just have to make sure they are safe and no one has attempted to steal."

"Not a problem, Blaze," replied Percival, and after helping himself to a few meals, he relaxed on his chair for a brief moment. "Right," he said as he finally got up. "I'm going to head back to my hut and check on the Chaos Emeralds. I won't be long, everyone."

"Okay then," said Draco, and while Percival headed for his hut, the group continued to chatter away.

"I think we're almost done dealing with the Robot Masters," said Torden. "So far, there were like five of them, and we've defeated three, leaving us only two left."

"Even so, we should not get too overconfident," said Tails. "It seems that each Robot Master is more lethal than the last, so goodness knows what the last two will be like."

"I'm sure that as long as we stick together, those robots will be finished," said Sonic.

Tails was about to reply, when all of sudden, a loud scream was heard from Percival's hut.

"What was that?!" squeaked Darky.

"It must be Percival," replied Cynder. "We need to go and check on him right away! He must be hurt or something!"

The team hurried into Percival's hut, but when they got inside, they found to their surprise that Percival was not hurt. Confused, they circled around him.

"Percival, are you alright?" asked Blaze. "What made you scream like that?"

"Guys, the Chaos Emeralds!" spluttered Percival. "Th-th-they're gone!"

"Gone?!" everyone gasped, and when they checked the arcade room where the Chaos Emeralds were placed, they saw they were indeed nowhere inside.

"How could this be?" asked Sonic. "I recall that you have the door locked, so there's no way anyone could have gone inside."

"Uh, guys," said Tails. "Look out the window. It seems that whoever stole the emeralds came in an out from there."

The team checked the window, and to their shock, they saw a neatly carved hole in the glass that was wide enough for anyone to fit through.

"Man, oh man," said Draco impressively. "The thieves must be real pros if they could make a hole that flawlessly."

"I'm under the suspicion that it was the Pyre Squad," said Bowser.

"I highly doubt that," said Percival. "Those three could never pull off a heist without messing something up."

"Look, I found some clues!" exclaimed Tails. "The floor has a series of footprints coming from the window, circling around the table in the arcade room and back!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Another complication as someone has stolen the Chaos Emeralds! This means yet another action-filled adventure for the team, on the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3: Rouge the Jewel Thief

**Chapter 3 – Rouge the Jewel Thief  
**

"What footprints?" Bowser asked.

"These ones," replied Draco as he pointed to the floor. "Yes, it seems someone did break into Percival's house, and given how there's not that many all over the place, it's clear that the heist was done by one person, specifically a female."

"How can you tell a lady stole the emeralds?" asked Torden.

"The type of footprints," replied Draco. "They belong to some high heeled shoes."

Tails examined the footprints. "You're right, Draco," they said. "Those are the footprints of high heels, which could mean that it was indeed a woman that came into the hut and stolen the Chaos Emeralds, and I have a bit of a hunch that it must be someone very familiar."

"Uh, Tails?" Draco asked with uncertainty.

"Oh, never mind," replied Tails as he straightened himself. "What we need to do now is start an investigation and find out who has them."

"But we have no idea where to start," said Jakkin. "For all we know, the thief must be miles away from here now."

"Hello?" called a voice. "Is anyone here?"

Cynder immediately recognised the voice, and she hurried out of the hut to see Moonracer walking around the village. "Princess Cynder, where are you?" the Night Fury called.

"I'm right here, Moonracer," replied Cynder.

"Ah, there you are at last, Your Highness," said Moonracer. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I told you before, there's no need to refer to me as 'Princess,' 'Your Highness,' or any of those titles that elevate me above everyone else," insisted Cynder. "Just call me Cynder, okay? Anyway, what brings you here to our village?"

"Well, something terrible has happened in our palace at Norway," said Moonracer. "A mysterious thief has broken in and stolen everything in the Royal Jewellery Room. All of our gems are gone."

"Don't tell me you've been robbed as well," said Cynder.

"You mean that you lost something of value too?" asked Moonracer.

"Yes, Moonracer," replied Percival. "Someone broke into my hut last night and stole seven certain gems that I stored in my arcade room. The only clues we have now are the footprints which Draco claims to belong to that of a singular female thief."

Moonracer looked at the footprints and began to ponder. "Those footprints look strangely similar to the ones we found in the jewellery room," he said. "I'm starting to think that maybe the thief could be the same one we're looking for."

"So what are you suggesting?" asked Lily.

"I'm suggesting that maybe I can be of help to you guys, since we're all looking for the thief that stole our gems," replied Moonracer. "So would it be alright if I join up with you for the time being?"

Cynder thought for a moment and smiled. "Moonracer, we will be honoured if you team up with us," she said.

"Thank you very much," he said. "Now that I think about it, I think I saw seen a suspicious-looking woman flying from your location last night," he said. "I'm not so sure, but she appeared to be like some kind of white bat in black-clad attire."

"White bat?" asked Tails. "Wait a minute, she does sound familiar!"

"I was thinking the same thing too," said Blaze. "It must be her."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Draco. "Do you know this bat?"

"Yes, we do, Draco," said Tails. "She happens to be an acquaintance of ours named Rouge, and she's a treasure hunter of sorts, but mostly an international jewel thief."

"Huh, figures," said Cynder.

"I say we better pay Rouge a visit," said Sonic. "We better get those emeralds back, because Eggman could take advantage of the situation and steal them from her. You dragons should start deciding quickly who will be coming."

"I'm going to stay here in the village," said Lily. "This could get intense."

"Well, I'm staying here, too," said Bowser. "I never want to see that egg-belly ever again after what he tried to do me."

"So you two won't be coming with us," said Sonic. "What about you, Tails and Blaze?"

"You bet I'll be there to help you out, Sonic!" said Tails.

"Much as I would like to join, I need to rest for a bit," said Blaze. "After all, I need to tend to my baby, and I can't be moving around all the time."

"That's understandable, Blaze," said Tails. "You go ahead and stay in the village with Lily and Bowser."

"I want to come with you, guys," said Darky.

"No, Darky," said Blaze. "You'll have to stay here, I'm afraid. As Lily had said, this could be another intense mission if the team runs into Eggman again."

"Oh, man," pouted Darky. "I want to join in the fun."

"Cheer up, Darky," said Bowser. "I'm going to be staying here, so how about you and I get to play on Percival's arcade machine in the meantime? Surely that should be fun for you."

"Well, alright then," said Darky, feeling somewhat pleased at the thought. "Let's see who can top the highest score!"

"You're on, little brother!" chuckled Bowser, and the two dragons made their way into Percival's hut.

"That takes care of that," said Sonic. "Are you all ready?"

"Yes, we are!" exclaimed the rest of the team.

"Good," smiled Sonic. "Moonracer, will you lead us the way?"

"Not a problem, mate," replied Moonracer. "Follow me!"

Moonracer spread his wings and started flying through the forest while the group followed close behind.

* * *

Rouge the Bat took her time traversing the national park while carrying the bag full of the seven Chaos Emeralds. She grinned as she looked past her back, relishing on how stealing the emeralds seemed very easy.

"This is absolutely great," she said to herself. "That night had been an absolutely rewarding one, and those babies will make fine additions to my collection."

Arriving at a remote area deep in the forest, Rouge placed the sack of emeralds near a large boulder, and then she took rest aside it. It had been a long day of walking, and now she wanted to stretch her legs before resuming her plundering.

"The only thing I regret," she continued. "Is that I could never get the Master Emerald before the doctor. Ah, well, whenever Sonic or any of Knuckles' buddies manage to get it back, it will be mine for the taking!"

As she stretched her legs and arms out, Rouge made herself comfortable by the boulder before drifting off to sleep. But later as she continued to sleep, her ears picked up the faint sounds of footsteps approaching, which only grew louder as they drew closer. Alerted, Rouge reached for her sack of emeralds and hid behind a tree.

"She has got to be around here somewhere," said a voice, which Rouge instantly recognised it to belong to Tails.

"We could have found her quickly if we didn't just dawdle around," said another voice, this time that of Sonic.

Rouge smiled slyly. "So, the blue blur has finally come back," she whispered to herself. "I better slip past him and his companions before they spot me with the emeralds."

With that, Rouge tiptoed her way out, trying her best not to make a sound. Unfortunately for her, the ground was full of fallen tree branches, and without noticing, her left boot stepped on a branch, letting out a loud, sharp snap.

"Hey, what was that?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

"I think I see someone sneaking around," replied Tails. "Come on, let's go and find out."

"Ah, shoot!" pouted Rouge. "I'm going to have to get out as quickly as I can!"

But as she snuck away, Tails noticed her from afar.

"There she is!" he shouted.

The team started to give chase, prompting Rouge to hurry as fast as she could. She constantly checked her behind, hoping to have lost them. Soon enough, the sound of the voices and footsteps grew softer until she could no longer hear them.

"I think I lost those guys," said Rouge as she finally stopped running. "Talk about a close one!"

"Hold it right there!" snapped a voice.

Rouge froze, and when she turned around, she saw a lion in pilot uniform glaring at her from behind. "I have found you at last," he said as he moved closer to her. "Now give back those diamonds you have stolen from the mayor of Kyoto this instant!"

"No, absolutely not!" said Rouge in a stubborn tone of voice.

"It seems as if someone has stopped Rouge already," said Tails' voice, and in no time, the team appeared to see Jimmy holding up the bat. "Jimmy Lionheart?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh, it's you heroes again," he said. "I'm glad that you have taken the initiative to assist me in stopping this thief. She has snuck into the mayor's office last night and stolen his diamond collection."

"Huh, so she's still going around doing what she does best," said Sonic.

"Wait, you know this woman?" asked Jimmy.

"Yes, we do," said Tails. "Her name is Rouge, and she's sort of a friend of ours, though she is a jewel thief. We're after her because she has stolen our emeralds, and we need them back because Eggman can be around searching for them, and if he finds them, he's going to…"

Tails stopped speaking and his mouth gaped open in horror when he saw something up in the sky. The rest of the group wondered what happened to the fox, but when they looked up to where Tails was staring, they became just as horrified when they saw the Eggmobile looming above, and piloting the aircraft was Eggman himself.

"Surprised to see me at this pleasant hour?" the doctor asked smugly. "Oh, please do go on with what you're saying. I would like you to give me some ideas!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Did you guys miss me? Sorry for taking too long to upload a new chapter, but last week has been such a busy one for me due to circumstances beyond my control, but now that it's all over and done with, I can finally resume, and I feel more motivated now. Anyway, it looks like there's trouble for the team as Eggman has shown up at an inopportune moment while trying to get the Chaos Emeralds back from Rouge, and we shall what they will do in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4: Deal or No Deal

**Chapter 4 – Deal or No Deal**

"Doctor Eggman!" everyone exclaimed.

"So, I hear that you lot are after Rouge since she has the Chaos Emeralds," said Eggman as several bee-like robots called Buzz Bombers appear beside him. "I could only wonder how it was possible for her to steal them, but this was just the opportunity I needed to steal them from her. Talk about poetic justice, I must say."

"Forget about it, doc!" said Rouge angrily. "These gems are all mine!"

"You are dreadfully mistaken," retorted Eggman. "Those Chaos Emeralds belong to me, and I must need them for my Death Egg!"

Eggman then pushed a button, and with that, a large mechanical arm emerged from the underside of his Eggmobile, which then reached down and snatched the sack Rouge was carrying.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rouge. "Give those back right now!"

"Your request is invalid!" laughed Eggman, and he grabbed the sack as soon as it was within his reach.

Furious, Rouge flew up to get back the sack, but then Eggman summoned his Buzz Bombers to attack, and they opened fire simultaneously, knocking the bat downwards.

"Oh no, Rouge!" cried Tails.

"Hurry up, everyone!" urged Sonic. "We need to save her!"

The team were just about to take action when suddenly, two figures zoomed in and broke Rouge's fall just in time before she could reach the ground. In a moment, the figures came into view and were revealed to be Shadow and Ash.

"Hey, guys," said Ash. "Have I missed anything?"

"Ash!" exclaimed the dragons happily. "You came back!"

"Perfect timing, Shadow," grinned Sonic. "It was quite a surprise to see you at such a critical moment."

Shadow did not say anything, but smile as he gently placed Rouge feet first on the ground.

"Thanks for breaking my fall, Shadow," said Rouge. "I had a feeling you would show up."

"It was nothing, really," said Shadow. "After all, you and I are Team Dark, and partners always look out for each other."

Rouge nodded in agreement.

Eggman sneered. "So, it's you two again? I'm going to teach you for interfering in my plans!"

"Your overconfidence will definitely be your downfall, doctor," said Shadow. "There's no way you'll be able to conquer the world!"

"Oh, but I'm not finished," said Eggman. "My Buzz Bombers will make quick work out of you!"

"Leave this to us, Sonic," said Cynder. "We have the ability to fly, so we should be able to defeat Eggman's robots with ease."

"I know you guys can do it," said Sonic. "Go get them, Cynder!"

"Careful there, Cynder," said Moonracer. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll be fine, don't worry," assured Cynder. "My teammates are here to help me after all."

"Stop wasting your time, you pathetic lot!" guffawed Eggman. "It's useless to try to get the Chaos Emeralds back from me!"

"We shall see about that, Eggman!" declared Cynder. She turned to the dragons. "Are you all ready?"

"Ready!" shouted Draco, Percival, Jakkin, Torden, Charonus and Ash.

"Teach that bloated bastard a lesson he'll never forget!" said Jimmy.

"Blast those dragons to the ground!" Eggman ordered the Buzz Bombers, and they swooped down towards Cynder and the dragons, ready to open fire with their stingers. The dragons dodged the barrage of laser blasts and fought back with their breath attacks. Soon, all the Buzz Bombers were destroyed as they were no match for the combined strength of the dragons.

"That takes care of 'em!" said Jakkin. "Alright, Eggman, now you're next!"

But to Jakkin's surprise, including everyone else, Eggman was nowhere to be seen. It became apparent that he had disappeared while the dragons were distracted with the Buzz Bombers.

"You guys, over there!" shouted Tails as he pointed to the distance. "Eggman is getting away!"

The dragons tried to follow the Eggmobile, but it was so far gone that they could not be able to catch up with it on time.

"Shoot!" pouted Cynder. "We were too late! Now what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," said Draco sadly. "But we it won't be easy getting back the Chaos Emeralds."

"You mean these?" Rouge asked as she showed one of the Chaos Emeralds with a sly grin on her face.

"What the…?"

Everyone was silent with shock, and Rouge revealed another sack which she opened, and inside were the rest of Chaos Emeralds.

"But Rouge," said Sonic. "How were you able to get back the Chaos Emeralds from Eggman? None of us saw you fly up behind him, except for when you attempted to attack him only to get knocked down."

"I didn't," said Rouge. "I simply carried two sacks and the poor fool took the sack of diamonds."

"You mean Eggman has the mayor's jewellery?" asked Jimmy.

"That's right," winked Rouge. "Since these Chaos Emeralds are so important to you right now, and since we don't want him to get his hands on them, I'll give them back, but I expect something in return."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Sonic.

"It's very simple," said Rouge. "I want that sack of diamonds back, so either we have a deal, or the Chaos Emeralds will belong to me."

"You can't have the diamonds!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Those belong to the mayor!"

"I'm waiting," said Rouge in a seductive tone. "You got about ten seconds to make your decision. Either you give me the diamonds, or Sonic and his chums here will not get their Chaos Emeralds. What will it be?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Had a bit of hard time figuring out how this chapter was going to go, but I've finally found the direction. This is quite a tough choice Jimmy has to make with Rouge as she is not willing to yield the Chaos Emeralds unless she has some jewels in her possession. The plot thickens, so see you in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5: Fight for the Jewels

**Chapter 5 – Fight for the Jewels**

The dragons waited anxiously for Jimmy to make a response, hoping that he would accept Rouge's deal, even if it meant sacrificing the mayor's diamonds.

"Five more seconds," said Rouge. "Be quick with your decision, as I mean it."

"I think you better consider it, Jimmy," said Sonic. "Surely a compromise could be made so that Rouge could have the jewels and we will have the Chaos Emeralds."

"We don't have much time," added Tails. "Just hurry it up and say yes so she can give us back the emeralds and we can deal with Eggman."

"Oh, alright!" conceded Jimmy. "Very well, Rouge, you may have the diamonds, but one condition, we're going to have to take it up to the mayor so we can work out something that will make you satisfied. How does that sound?"

"If I can have my share of the diamonds, then that sounds okay to me," said Rouge. "A treasure hunter needs to at least have a reward for helping defeat the bad egg, right?"

"Glad you have accepted the offer, Rouge," said Sonic. "Now then, let's go get Eggman!"

"And I better be going," replied Rouge.

"Oh, no, you're not!" declared Jimmy. "You're not going anywhere until we've recovered the diamonds from the doctor!"

"Fine then," pouted Rouge. "You are such a busybody, you know that?"

"Enough chatting," said Tails as he boarded the plane. "There's not much time, so let's hurry and find Eggman so that he won't come back for the emeralds."

"Don't you worry, Rouge and Jimmy," said the dragons. "We'll do our best to recover the stolen diamonds."

Rouge smiled and she set her sights on Draco. "I sure hope you'll be able to get them back so we can fulfil the deal," she said as she approached the Charizard and then proceeded to flirtatiously move her index finger up his body. "A pretty dragon boy like you sure can be able to take on the doctor with ease."

Draco slowly backed away nervously. "Uh… yeah, we certainly can…" he stuttered.

Rouge continued on her advances, which made Cynder seethe with anger. "Alright, that's enough!" she hissed. "Look, lady, I don't know what kind of trick you're pulling, but you better keep your filthy hands off Draco!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Rouge coyly. "I should have known that I'm holding you up. Off with you, then."

So after Sonic and Shadow boarded the wings of the Tornado Z, the team was all set to leave, while Jimmy and Rouge remained where they stood.

* * *

Cynder was still grumbling about Rouge and her mannerisms. "The nerve of that harlot!" she said. "Who does she think she is trying to have her with my Draco?!"

"Don't take it too personally," said Sonic. "Rouge is like that with every guy she meets, so it's not like she is trying to take Draco away from you."

"Humph!" snorted Cynder. "Well, she better not do that again next time, or I will fry her with my Plasma Burst!"

"Take it easy there, Cynder," warned Percival. "It's not really worth it. Besides, Rouge has agreed to give us back the Chaos Emeralds once we get the diamonds from Eggman, remember?"

"Maybe you're right, Percival," said Cynder. "I still don't get why she likes to flirt around with so many people."

"It's Rouge, of course," laughed Sonic. "Most of the time, she likes to flirt with ol' Knuckles, though it's usually to drop his guard so she could steal the Master Emerald from him."

"What a tool," commented Jakkin.

"You guys, I think I see Eggman up ahead," said Charonus.

Sure enough, they could see the faint shape of the Eggmobile hovering in the air. The team knew that they only had one shot to try to recover the stolen diamonds.

"Come on you guys, full speed ahead!" called Tails, and they all pursued Eggman, who was not too pleased to see his enemies once more.

"So, it's you miscreants again!" he snarled. "How many times do I have to deal with you? If you think you can easily nab the emeralds away from me, then you have another thing coming!"

"Give it a try," said Sonic. "But you'll find out soon that you don't really have what you're looking for, doc."

"What do you mean?" asked Eggman, and he quickly looked at the sack only to discover that inside were not the Chaos Emeralds, but diamonds. He was silent for a moment, but he turned red while he clenched his fists angrily.

"Looks like you've been outsmarted again," laughed Torden. "That is so pathetic."

"How dare you make fun of me!" snapped Eggman. "Just for that, you miserable lot are going to pay dearly!"

"It's you who's going to pay for all the innocent citizens you've terrorised and roboticised!" declared Sonic.

Eggman sneered as he pushed a button on his Eggmobile. "You meddling fools have no idea what you're in for," he said. "I've got here my best contraption for my Eggmobile, and this time, all of you will be crushed!"

With that, the Eggmobile started to change shape, and soon it assumed the form of a large human-shaped robot with two huge cannons for arms and sharp razor blades for wings. The most notable feature of the altered Eggmobile was that the belly button was a bright round circle which glowed as intense energy moved around.

"Looks like we're in trouble now," gulped Draco.

"Come on, don't back down," said Sonic. "We can do this together!"

"You got that right, Sonic," said Shadow. "No matter what rotten tricks Eggman has up his sleeve, he cannot bring us down that easily!"

"Believe me, I can," retorted Eggman. "My Egg Titan is powered by the energy I extracted from the Master Emerald, which makes it substantially unstoppable! Of course, this is nothing compared to the Death Egg! Never underestimate my brilliance!"

"Regardless of how much Eggman would boast about his machines, we still can bring him down with the power of teamwork," Cynder said to the dragons. "We've dealt with the Pyre Squad many times, so he should still not pose a problem."

"I'm with you on that, Cynder," said Torden. "I'm ready to put a dent to that mechanical monstrosity!"

"Right, then let's do this," said Ash eagerly. "It's the only way we can shut him up and recover those stolen diamonds for Jimmy."

"Come on, everyone!" urged Sonic. "Let's get this party started!"

The dragons flew towards the Egg Titan and began their assault, dishing out as much damage as they could with their breath attacks. They were also aided by Sonic and Shadow who leapt forth and back from the Tornado Z. The Egg Titan retaliated with a barrage of energy blasts, which the team avoided, and even though it sustained a lot of blows, it was still far from destroyed.

"Is that all you got?" taunted Eggman. "My invention can withstand your attacks, you pathetic pipsqueaks!"

"This won't do at all!" pouted Cynder. "We're going to have to find another strategy."

Charonus remembered something. "What about those Z-Crystals you guys are yet to use?" he suggested. "Maybe they could be able to put a dent on that giant machine."

"Oh, yeah!" exclaimed Draco as he fumbled in his pocket for one of the Z-Crystals. He took out the Firium Z, which gleamed before him.

"Good idea, guys!" called Tails. "Make use of the Z-Crystals by using the Z-Ring, and you should be able to dish out stronger attacks!"

"Ha! Don't think some power enhancing crystals can be able to stop me!" laughed Eggman. "I'll see to it that you won't be able to use them!"

Eggman sent the Egg Titan charging towards the dragons, and they quickly flew out of the way. He then proceeded to fire away rounds of energy blast which kept them dodging for their lives.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Tails. "The dragons really need help!"

"But how are we going to stop Eggman?" asked Sonic. "The Egg Titan is extremely durable!"

"This is incredibly frustrating," said Shadow, clenching his fist. "I'm supposed to be the ultimate power, and yet Eggman has managed to one up us with no effort at all!"

"We've got to think of a plan and fast," said Tails. "There's not much time left and Eggman can finish off the dragons at any moment."

The dragons continued dodging back and forth until eventually they were starting to show fatigue.

Eggman smirked at the unlucky group. "Had enough?" he asked. "It looks like you're low on steam and really exhausted. Well, I think it's about time I put you out of your miseries!"

"Just when things couldn't have gone much worse," panted Ash.

The dragons could only watch helplessly as Eggman prepared to fire a finishing blast, but then, a laser blast flew from nowhere and struck the Egg Titan, catching the doctor by surprise. He turned around, and to his shock, he saw another plane and standing on the wings was Rouge the Bat.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I've taken my time yet again, but at least this chapter's done and only one more to finally cap off this story.


	6. Chapter 6: The Promotion

**Chapter 6 – The Promotion  
**

Jimmy Lionheart steadied his plane after firing the lasers at the Egg Titan and he waved to the team so that they could see him. "Rouge was very insistent with helping you guys out, so we thought about coming by," he called. "I can tell all of you need a hand as you're struggling to defeat that no-good doctor."

"It's Jimmy and Rouge!" exclaimed Percival. "Great you two can come in!"

"Not that thieving bat again," growled Eggman. "You must be the one who tricked me into taking the diamonds instead of the Chaos Emeralds, aren't you?"

"You have me pegged, doc," said Rouge slyly. "Never underestimate how underhanded I could be when it comes to jewels."

"I'll teach you to mess with me," said Eggman angrily and he positioned the Egg Titan to face Rouge. He then began to open fire, but Rouge evaded the blasts with finesse. Tails, Sonic and Shadow knew that this was the chance the dragons needed to use the Z-Crystals.

"Okay, guys, you better act fast!" he called. "Unlock your Z Power while Eggman is distracted!"

"You heard Tails," said Cynder as she tossed the Z-Ring to Draco. "Draco and Charonus, hurry! We only have a short amount of time to do this before Eggman returns to us!"

Quickly, Draco placed the Firium Z on the Z-Ring, and after striking a pose, he felt his strength increase as an aura of flames formed all around him. Next, he passed the Z-Ring to Charonus, and he used the Dragonium Z. He too performed a pose, resulting in a purplish aura to surround him. The two Charizards were set to make use of their Z Power.

"Come on, Draco," said Charonus. "We've got to give it our best shot in delivering the strongest attacks on the Egg Titan!"

"Right, Charonus," nodded Draco, and the two flew towards the Eggman, who was still focused on Rouge.

As the two Charizards prepared to attack, Rouge smiled slyly at Eggman. "Shame that you can't pay attention to more than one thing, doc," she said. "A couple of surprises are coming from behind."

"Huh?"

Just as Eggman was about to turn around, he felt a sudden shake first from the left, and then another one from the right. He then saw Draco and Charonus floating in front of him.

"It's you guys!" he exclaimed. "That was a very dirty trick!"

"Says the evil doctor who resorts to underhanded tactics himself," retorted Charonus. "We're going to take you out once and for all, and we'll get back those diamonds!"

"Dream on, dragons," laughed Eggman. "Your powers may have increased now that you've used those Z-Crystals, but I assure you they still won't be enough to defeat me."

"We'll see about that," said Charonus. "Draco, let's deliver one more blow, and this time, let's do it all at once!"

Draco nodded in agreement, and together, he and Charonus charged directly at the Egg Titan's chest. The force of the collision was so strong that the sack of the diamonds flew out of the machine and it started to fall down.

"Grab that bag!" shouted Jimmy.

The other dragons flew downward quickly to retrieve the bag, but Rouge outflew them and she picked it up just in time before it could fall into the sea.

"Good catch, Rouge," said Percival.

Rouge only smiled with her eyes closed, feeling very pleased.

"Alright, Eggman, it's all over," said Sonic. "Why don't you just give it up?"

"You know I'll never give up, hedgehog!" declared Eggman. "Nothing's going to stand in my way of ruling the world!"

With that, Eggman started to fire rounds of laser blasts at the team. Realising that there was no way to reason with the doctor, Sonic and Shadow knew that they will have to destroy the Egg Titan for good. Fortunately, the damage dealt to it by Draco and Charonus was all they needed to stop Eggman as the Egg Titan was showing signs of breaking down.

"Okay, Tails," said Sonic. "Shadow and I are going to deliver our strongest Spin Dash attack."

"Be careful, you two," warned Tails. "Eggman is on his guard."

"We'll keep him distracted," said Torden. "Come on, dragons, let's go!"

The dragons flew to Draco and Charonus and kept Eggman preoccupied so that Sonic and Shadow can deliver the finishing blow. Their attacks started to damage the Egg Titan further, and it was not long until Sonic and Shadow leapt off the Tornado Z and curled themselves into a pair of balls in the air, striking the Egg Titan right on its weak point. At that moment, the Egg Titan started to collapse.

Doctor Eggman was furious. "You haven't seen the last of me!" he growled. "Just you wait, you troublesome lot! I'll be back and I got two more of my Robot Masters to take care of you!"

Hastily, Eggman ejected his Eggmobile out of the Egg Titan in just mere seconds before it exploded to pieces and he zoomed off into the distance. Sonic grinned as he stood on the plane's wing after landing back, content that he and the team have succeeded once again.

"Alright, we did!" everyone cheered.

"Way to go, guys!" beamed Tails. "We've showed that Eggman a thing or two!"

"It's not over yet, everyone," said Sonic. "We still have two of his Robot Masters to defeat and the Death Egg must be destroyed before it's fully completed."

Rouge flew forward to the team. "Hey, I want to say thanks for everything and recovering the diamonds," she said. "I say all of you deserve the Chaos Emeralds after all, especially when the doctor has to be stopped."

"Don't mention it, Rouge," said Ash. "It's great that you've decided to give back the Chaos Emeralds for Cynder and her friends since they really need it."

"Still, I wish I could be able to have my share of the regular diamonds," continued Rouge. "Jimmy, I hope there is something we could do where I could negotiate with the mayor."

Jimmy thought for a moment. "You know, with that kind of dedication you have, I believe you deserve some kind of appointment from him," he said. "Come on, let's head to Kyoto!"

* * *

It was late afternoon when Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Rouge, Jimmy and the dragons, along with Lily, Darky Bowser and Blaze who they have picked up earlier, are at the mayor's office in Kyoto. Jimmy told the mayor everything that happened and how much Rouge desired the diamonds and considered having a share of them. As they waited anxiously, the big wolf paced back and forth pondering over his decision. He finally spoke. "So you're telling that this lady bat here wants some of my diamonds, so much so that she would even consider some kind of occupation involving them, right?"

"Yes, that's basically it, Mayor Okami Fukushima," replied Jimmy. "From what she told us, she's an avid treasure hunter and worked as an agent for the Guardian Units of Nation, better known as GUN."

"Ah, yes, I have heard of them," said Mayor Fukushima. "My uncle once served the Japanese branch of that agency."

"So does that mean that I'll have my share of your diamonds, mayor?" asked Rouge.

"Well, as you must know, Rouge, I am very protective of my jewels," said Mayor Fukushima. "However, I am taking into consideration a much better proposal, and since you've helped Lionheart san in recovering the diamonds from this Doctor Eggman, I think you are deserving of this promotion I am about to give you."

"A promotion?" asked the team.

"Yes indeed," smiled Mayor Fukushima. "See, my collection of jewels are very important and I can't afford to have them stolen, not by the likes of that scoundrel. Given your experience in the GUN agency, I'd like to appoint you as my personal keeper of my jewel collection. What do you say to that?"

Rouge was stunned, and she started to beam with delight. "My, oh my, that's the kind of job I always dreamed to have," she said. "Mayor, consider your offer most happily accepted!"

"Excellent," said Mayor Fukushima. "But, on one condition, I want you to give me your solemn oath, so raise your hand and say it like you mean it."

"Okay then," said Rouge as she raised her hand.

"Now, repeat after me," being Mayor Fukushima. "I, Rouge,"

"I, Rouge," replied Rouge.

"Vow to never steal the jewels of Okami Fukushima, mayor of Kyoto," continued Mayor Fukushima.

Rouge repeated every word Mayor Fukushima said. She was also given permission to interact with all of GUN's branches. Jimmy Lionheart was pleased with the way things have turned out since it meant that she could no longer steal from any important people ever again, but can indulge herself with checking out their collection of gems.

"It's all settled," he said. "Now that Rouge is an official for the mayor of Kyoto, she should be able to enjoy herself with his jewel collection while keeping them safe at the same time."

"Yeah, but she will still try to go after the Master Emerald once we get it from Eggman," said Sonic.

"At least it's not counted as part of what she should never steal from," said Jimmy.

"I want to thank you guys for getting me a job that involves jewels," said Rouge. "May you keep Eggman from getting his hands on the Chaos Emeralds, and I hope you'll be able to retrieve the Master Emerald from him."

"Don't you worry about a thing Rouge," said Tails. "With the dragons by our side, we should be able to put an end to his evil goals. Better watch for Knuckles when the Master Emerald's back at his island."

Rouge smiled and blushed as she thought of Knuckles. "Well, I must be off," she said. "I got things to do with the GUN at America."

"Good luck, Rouge!" called the team. "We wish you all the best on your endeavours!"

After Rouge flew off into the distance, the team looked at each other.

"Time to head back to the village," said Cynder. "Better make sure the Chaos Emeralds are still intact."

"Yeah," agreed Draco. "It's almost time for dinner, and I'm starving!"

"Thank you all for recovering the stolen diamonds," said Mayor Fukushima. "I also wish you good luck in stopping Eggman."

"Thank you, mayor," said the team, and they too left to return to the Ise-Shima National Park, where they would have their dinner and rest for another day in thwarting Eggman.

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

Finally, the story's finished. It sure took me awhile since I had struggled a bit figuring out where I was going to go with it, but at least it's done and I think it came up well. The whole situation with Rouge has been resolved, and another adventure awaits for the team as they continue on their efforts to stop Eggman and restore peace to the world. See you then!


End file.
